Kerala High Court Sets Up Senior Panel To Tackle Kochi Sewerage Crisis

Overview

• Acting on a PIL by the Apartment Owners’ Apex Association, a bench of Chief Justice Nitin Jamdar and Justice Basant Balaji formed a high-level study group and directed a preliminary report within four weeks, with the case next listed for October 27.
• The four-member group comprises the Principal Secretary of the Local Self-Government Department, the KSPCB chairperson, the Kerala Water Authority managing director, and the Kochi Corporation secretary, and will submit its report through the Principal Secretary.
• The court recorded that untreated wastewater from apartments and houses is flowing into the Thevara-Perandoor and Edappally canals and flagged alleged lapses by Kochi Corporation and the State Pollution Control Board.
• The Apartment Owners’ Apex Association urged that older and space-constrained complexes be linked to the Integrated Urban Regeneration and Water Transport System plan, which provides four STPs at Vennala, Muttar, Perandoor and Elamkulam with connected sewers costing ₹393.13 crore.
• The KSPCB earlier issued notices to non-compliant complexes, and representatives of about 45 of 71 identified buildings sought time to meet treatment requirements.